Traversing a Broken Housing Market w/ Lance Lambert #761
Dec 13, 2023
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Real estate expert Lance Lambert joins to discuss the broken housing market, deteriorating home affordability, key indicators for market trends, and the importance of considering long-term sustainability. The podcast also explores misleading practices in the real estate industry, a recent legal ruling against the National Association of Realtors, and sponsor ads.
Housing affordability has deteriorated quickly due to pandemic-induced price increases and low mortgage rates.
Regional housing markets show divergent trends, with some experiencing price falls and others seeing price increases.
Considering personal financial circumstances is key when deciding whether or not to purchase a home.
Deep dives
Housing affordability has deteriorated rapidly in the past few years
The past two years have seen the fastest deterioration in housing affordability, with overheating prices during the pandemic and low mortgage rates as contributing factors.
Different housing markets show divergent trends in prices
Regional housing markets are experiencing divergent trends, with some markets seeing price falls while others continue to see price increases. Inventory levels, bond rates, and job markets are important factors to monitor.
The impact of institutional home buyers on the housing market
Institutional home buyers own a small percentage of the national housing stock but may have an outsized impact in certain regions. Markets like Austin have seen substantial correction due to investors getting ahead of local fundamentals.
The uncertainty surrounding recent legal ruling on realtor fees
A recent legal ruling against the National Association of Realtors may lead to changes in real estate agent fees, potentially offering cost savings for buyers and sellers. The ruling has created uncertainty within the industry and may lead to further lawsuits.
Personal circumstances should guide homebuying decisions
Rather than relying solely on market predictions, it is important for individuals to consider their personal financial circumstances when deciding whether or not to purchase a home. Factors such as income, job prospects, and family situations should be taken into account.
To everyone who has decided to ‘take a break’ from your Zillow or Redfin apps: we applaud you! Whether you did it to cut back on your screen time, or simply because of sheer frustration as you’ve sensed that something was broken in the housing market, home affordability seems to be at all time lows. As you scroll through listings, there's this dark cloud of overwhelm, courtesy of the real estate starship we find ourselves strapped to. And even if prices taper off some- how are folks going to handle their mortgage payments considering where rates are sitting? There are a lot of big unknowns when it comes to the largest financial decision that many of us will make, but luckily, we’re joined by Lance Lambert. Lance is the nation's foremost data journalist and beat reporter in the residential real estate space. He’s been the real estate editor over at Fortune Magazine, and he’s recently launched ResiClub to help folks to stay informed on the US housing market. We discuss why home affordability has deteriorated so quickly, specific cities that will continue to see prices increase, key indicators to help you know where your market is headed, the most important consideration before you buy a home, and much more!
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During this episode we enjoyed a Juice Lovers by Other Half Brewing- a big thanks to Jason for sending this one our way! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!